Explosive-engine.



No. 743,332. PATBNTED. NOV. 3,1903.

M. H. ROBERTS.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1901. 1m 110mm... 1 a sums-sum 1.

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M. H. ROBERTS. EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1901.

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M. H. ROBERTS.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1901.

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I No. 743,332.

' UNITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EXPLOSlVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,332, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed August 1'7, 1901. Serial No. 72,378. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LMIDDLETON H. ROBERTS, residing at Rolfe, in the county of Pocahontas and State of Iowa, have invented anew and Improved Explosive-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention seeks to provide a new and improved engine adapted to operate under an explosive force of working agent of mixed air and gas or gasolene; and it primarily seeks to provide an engine of this character of a simple and compact construction capable of being operated under an economical use of the working agent and having its several parts cooperatively arranged to provide for a uniform and efiective action.

In its generic nature my invention comprehends a working cylinder, an explosion-chamber communicating with one end thereof, and a supplemental chamber held in communication with both ends of the working cylinder and adapted to receive the exploded mixture under pressure and at predetermined times feed the mixture against the front or inner end of the working piston to assist in propelling it toward the explosion end. Suitably and automatically arranged valve devices for regulating the inflow of theworking agent and the flow of the exploded mixture to the supplementary chamber and the cylinder and to the exhaust are provided and adapted to cooperate with cam. or tripping mechanism controlled by the drive-shaft for setting and operating the several valves at predetermined times.

My invention in its more subordinate features consists in certain details of constructions, peculiar and novel arrangements of parts, including specific constructions of cam and valve shifting devices for efiecting a proper flow of the working agent first into the cylinder as the piston recedes from the fire or exploding end and simultaneously exhausting the exploded mixture at the rear of the piston,then cutting ofi the Working-agent supply and opening up an escape to the exploded mixture of the supplementary chamber during the forward thrust of the piston, then drawing in anew charge, and then opening up prior exploded charge to the rear of the piston as the new charge of the working agent is being compressed, all of the said parts being substantially'arranged as hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like numerals, letters, and characters indicate like-parts in all the figures, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of my improved engine, taken practically on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the same looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, a part of the valve-casingbeiug shown in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 44. of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the slidevalve for controlling the compressed mixture to the piston-cylinder, said valve being shown the line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

In the practical construction of my invention the same embodies a suitable foundation or base 10, upon one end of which, on vertical' members 10 and in suitable bearings 3 thereon,is mounted the drive-shaft G, formed with a single crank g and carrying at one end a fly-wheel g, and at the other end it has a cog-wheel g, the purpose of which will be presently explained. V

A chamber X is located under the cylinder 20, andsaid chamber is formed by the side wallslO 10, the heador end wall 10, (see dotted lines,-Fig. 2,) the cross-wall 10, and the crown or top 10, and the base 10*. The cylinder 20 at its front end has an explosioncompartment 20*, and the said explosion-compartment 20 at one side communicates with pockets 21 22, the upper one of which has an exhaust-pipe y, which joins with the main exhaust-pipe V, (presently again referred to,) and the pocket 21 has an ofitake e, thatempties in to the chamberX and has a check-valve E, as shown. The pockets 21 22 are normally closed to the explosion end of the cylinder 20 by the valves 0 and D, as shown in Fig. 1, by reference to which it will be noticed these valves openoutward and are held closed by the spiral springs R R, mounted on valve-stems 1' T.

Z Z designate plunger-rods held to slide in suitable hearings in the engine-framing, the outer ends of said rods Z Z being pivotally supported on the swinging arms3 3, the

free ends of which have roller-bearings 3*, held to engage with cam-disks 1 and 2, mounted on the stub-spindle 15, made fast to or formed integrally upon the gear-wheel G", held to mesh with the gear-wheel g on the drive-shaft G, said wheel G being twice the diameter of the wheel 9 so as to provide for makingone revolution of the gear Gr as the gear 9 makes two revolutions, whereby to operate the valves 0 and D at every alternate thrust of the piston.

I designates an eccentric on the crankshaft G, which has a pitman I connected thereto and which joins by the adjustable clip member t with the slide-valve A, slidably mounted in the valve-casing a on the rear end of the working cylinder and at that side diametrically opposite the valve-pockets containing the valves 0 and D. The valve A is double-acting, is of the D type, its

groove or channel (1 being adapted to alternately cut off the exhaust-port '0, that leads to the main exhaust V, or bring said port i) into communication with the outlet M at the inner or front end of the working cylinder, the said parts, valve A, its shifting devices, and the ports M and r, being relatively so arranged that when the valve A covers both ports M and 'u the exhaust passes from the working cylinder to the ofitake-pipe V, and when the valve is pushed to the position shown in Fig. 1 the mixture in chamber X is permitted to pass "through the pipeU that joins the chamber X and valve-chamber afor forcing the piston S to the outer or rear end of the cylinder.

At the rear end of cylinder and opposite the valves 0 and D is a laterally-extending pocket or. space I), that forms a part of the explosion end of the cylinder and which communicates through the valved inlet 1) with working-agent feed-space 12 into which the mixed air and gas conveyer pipe b discharges. The inlet b is normally held closed by a valve B,of the upwardly-acting kind, normally held to its closed position by the retractile spring devices and adapted to open by the suction action above it, as will presently more fully appear.

The chamber X isalso provided with an automatic air-feed controlled by a checkvalve E, which, as also the check-valve E before referred to, is the common form of checkvalve, and the valve E is utilized to prevent pressure in the chamber X flowing back to the explosion-chamber, and valve F is utilized to admit air to the chamber when there is no explosion in the cylinder on account of too high speed.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, the piston being at the limit of its inward stroke and a working mixture present in the extension -chamber 20, now assume the mixture exploded and the piston starting on its outstroke. As the piston is propelled forward by the exploded mixture the valve A is open to exhaust, while the valves 0 and D are closed, as is also the checkvalve E, it being also understood that the initial pressure in the chamber X is atmospheric pressure only. Just before the piston completes its first outstroke the valve D is opened by means of the cam 2, which co6p crates with the swinging member 3, attached to the rod Z that acts on the rod r of the valve D, itbeing understood that the movement of said cam 2 is so timed as to cause the valve D to open just before the piston reaches the front end or limit of its first forward stroke. This completes the first part of the cycle of operations. As the piston makes its first return stroke the burned or spent mixture is expelled from the chamber 20 through the valves D and E into the chantber X. The valve A during this stroke is open to bring the chamber 20 in connection with the chamber X to-obtain an equal pressure on each side of the piston during this the first return stroke. During this entire stroke the valve 0 remains closed. As the piston reaches the limit of its first return stroke the valve G by means of its gearing with cams H and rods Z is opened for an instant to allow the residue burned mixture to exhaust from chamber 20*, it being understood that since the valve E is a one-Way check-valve opening only toward the chamber X none of the mixture therein can escape to atmosphere through said valve 0 and its exhaustpipe. This completes the second part of the cycle of operations. As the piston starts on its second forward stroke the valve A is shifted to exhaust the mixture in front of the piston, while a new charge is drawn into the chamber 20 through the valve 13, which is now open, the valves 0, D, and E being closed. This completes the third portion of the cycle of operations. As the piston returns on its second return stroke the valves B, C, D, and E remain closed to allow the unexploded mixture in chamber 20 to be compressed. The valve A, however, is shifted to open communication with chamber X to allow the mixture therein to come in behind the piston, and since in practice it is found that this mixture is at a pressure greater than atmosphere (from twenty-five to thirty pounds) this pressure will. assist in forcing the piston back, and thereby help to compress the unexploded mixture in chamber 20. This completes the full cycle of operations. Upon the explosion of the mixture in the chamber 2O the cycle of operations above described is again repeated. Should the engine run up to an excess speed and the igniting mechanism fail to explode the mixture in the chamber 20 and the mixture in chamber X reduce to a pressure less than that of atmosphere, the valve F will open and allow air'to enter the chamber X to restore the balance of pressure.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, itis thought the complete operation and the advantages of my improved explosive-engine will be readily explained.

- While I prefer to combine and arrange the several parts as shown and described, the same may be modified and the details of construction varied without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

W designates the usual vwater chamber or jacket for cooling the cylinder.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an explosive-engine of the character described, the combination with the working cylinder, the piston,the drive-shaft, and the working-agent feed-pipe having an automatically-controlled valve; of a pair of valvechambers in communication with the explosion end of the cylinder, each havinga valved outlet, one of said chambers discharging into an exhaust, a supplemental chamber X, communicating with the other valved chamber, avalved chamber a communicating with the front end of the cylinder and with an exhaust, and with the chamber X, a D-valve slidable in said chamber, for alternately opening up communication between the cylinder and the chamber X, and said cylinder and the exhaust, and automatically operated shifting devices, controlled by movement of the drive shaft for operating the several valves aforesaid, whereby the exploded mixture of one charge will be made to assist in the compression of the nearest succeeding new charge, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. In an explosive-engine of the character described, the combination with the driveshaft, the cylinder, the piston, and the working-agent feed, said feed discharging into the rear end of the cylinder, and having a suction-operated valve; of the spaces-21 22 communicating with the explosion end of the cylinder, an upper and lower valve-chamber, cooperating with the spaces 21 21, respectively, the valves 0 and D, normally closing 0E the valve-chambersfrom said spaces, the upper chamber having an exhaust, the lower an ofitake 6, having a check-valve E, the valves 0 and D being spring-held to their closed position, the pusher-rods Z Z cams 1 and 2, cooperating therewith and controlled by movement of the drive-shaft, the supplemental chamber X, into which ofitake 2 discharges, said chamber X having an ofitake U, the valve-chamber a, communicating with the front end of the cylinder, the exhaust V connected to said chamber a, the slide-valve A, and means for operating said valve at predetermined intervals, whereby the exploded mixture of one charge will assist the piston in compressing the next succeeding new charge, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

MIDDLETON H. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

ARCHIE M. WHITE, ROBERT BRUCE. 

